MLB Playoff Update

- The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. With a 5-1 win over the Cards, they will move on to the National League Championship to face the winner of the Phillies-Rockies series. The Cardinals were my favourite team going into the playoffs and the sweep should be seen as a huge upset.
- The American League Championship Series was decided over the weekend as well. Leading the series 2-0, the Los Angeles Angels completed an impressive 2 out, 9th inning rally to come back and beat the Boston Red Sox, eliminating them from the playoffs Sunday.
-The Angels' opponent in the AL Championship Series will be the New York Yankees. They also clinched, sweeping the Minnesota Twins in three games. Behind P Andy Pettitte and 3B Alex Rodriguez, the Yanks advanced to their first ALCS in five years with a 4-1 victory over the Twins on Sunday night.
-The Philadelphia Phillies are leading their series with the Colorado Rockies 2-1 and will try and finish them off tonight in Colorado. Rockies P Ubaldo Jimenez will take on Phillies P Cliff Lee in Game 4 in a re-match of Game 1's pitching duel. The Phillies took the series lead on Sunday night, winning the game on a Ryan Howard sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.

Notes:

The umpires made a huge mistake in Game 3 of the Phillies-Rockies on Sunday night. Home plate umpire Jerry Meals ruled that a ball hit by Phillies 2B Chase Utley hit on a check swing was fair but it was clearly foul. Utley was ruled safe at first base. SS Jimmy Rollins advanced to third on the play and was driven in later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by 1B Ryan Howard. It proved to be the winning run. The umpires recognized their mistake after the game. This incident will probably force the MLB to re-assess their instant replay system in the off-season.